PLEASE HELP WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT DWARF PUFFERS ENVIRONMENTS!

[lilpuffer528]

I HAVE A 10 GALLON HEXAGON-SHAPED AQUARIUM WITH A HEATER, A BIO-WHEEL MINI FILTER, AND A SMALL AIR PUMP WITH ~ 6 IN. BUBBLE WAND. FOR DECORATIONS I HAVE A LARGE-SIZED FAKE PLASTIC PLANT THAT ALMOST COMES TO THE TOP OF THE WATER LEVEL, COMING UP THE CORNER COVERING THE AIR TUBING, AND A CAVE/CORAL DECORATION (FAKE) THAT THE FISH CAN HIDE OUT IN THAT I GOT AT WAL-MART, ABOUT 6'' BY 6'' AND SITTING ON THE FLOOR OF THE TANK LEAVING A ~1.5-2 IN. PERIMETER OF GRAVEL AROUND IT (WELL GRAVEL AND A BUNCH OF THOSE SMOOTH STONES THAT COME IN A BUNCH OF COLORS...THE STONES ARE ALL OVER). FIRST OF ALL, DOES THIS SOUND LIKE AN ALRIGHT SETUP IN TERMS OF A FEW PUFFERS HAVING ENOUGH ROOM, HAVING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT (IS THE BIO-WHEEL MINI OK OR DO I NEED THE NEXT SIZE UP?), ETC.? IF I WANT TO KEEP THE TANK THE WAY IT IS NOW DECORATION-WISE, HOW MANY DWARF PUFFERS COULD I KEEP IN IT? OR HOW MANY OTHER THAN DWARF PUFFERS CAN BE KEPT IN IT (I AM NOT 100% FIXATED ON JUST THE DWARF VARIETY, I LIKE LOTS OF THE OTHER PUFFERS, TOO AND WANT TO KEEP MY OPTIONS OPEN)? IS MY CAVE THING TOO BIG FOR THE SIZE OF THE AQUARIUM?

ALSO HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY TANK SET UP? I WANT TO CHANGE IT UP A BIT TO COMPLEMENT MY FISH AND MY AQUARIUM, AND I KNOW I WANT PUFFERS, PROBABLY DWARF PUFFERS (SINCE I MIGHT HAVE PROBLEMS FINDING OTHER SMALL PUFFERS FOR A 10 GALLON) AND I KNOW THAT I WANT SAND AT THE BOTTOM WITH A FEW OF MY SCATTERED STONES INSTEAD OF GRAVEL. I KNOW THEY LIKE A HEAVILY-PLANTED TANK, BUT HOW MUCH CAN YOU PLANT IN A SMALL 10 GALLON HEXAGON AQUARIUM ALONG WITH A FAKE CAVE/CORAL DECORATION AND A FEW DWARF PUFFERS? I KNOW ABOUT THE 1 INCH PER FISH RULE AND KNOW THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO APPLY TO DECORATIONS TOO, SO I AM CONFUSED AND WONDERING IF I WILL HAVE ENOUGH ROOM ONCE I HAVE A FEW FISH, THE CAVE THING AND A FEW PLANTS, POSSIBLY LIVE ONES. ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

I WOULD LIKE LIVE PLANTS TO LIVE WITH THE DWARF PUFFERS, DO YOU KNOW THE NAMES OF ANY EASY-GROWING, LOW MAINTENANCE FRESH-WATER PLANTS I CAN FIND LOCALLY TO GROW IN MY 10 GALLON HEXAGON WITH PREFERABLY 3 DWARF PUFFERS AND A 6'' BY 6'' FAKE CAVE/CORAL DECORATION? HOW MANY WOULD I BE ABLE TO FIT AND WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO TO TAKE CARE OF THE PLANTS? IS IT NECESSARY TO BUY A STRONGER HOOD LIGHT? IS THERE ANY THING YOU NEED TO ADD TO THE WATER?

THE WATER IN MY 10 GALLON AQUARIUM THAT I AM REFERENCING TO HAS WATER THAT HAS BEEN TREATED WITH AQUARIUM SALT, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT DWARF PUFFERS ARE FRESHWATER FISH, SO DOES THAT MEAN THEY CAN’T HAVE ANY SALT WHATSOVER IN THEIR TANK AND DO I HAVE TO TAKE OUT ALL THE WATER AND REPLACE IT WITH FRESH DECHLORINATED WATER (AND I'LL BE TAKING OUT THE GRAVEL AND REPLACING IT WITH SAND) AND HAVE TO CYCLE IT ALL OVER AGAIN? SHOULD I USE SOMETHING FOR THAT, LIKE BIO-SPIRA, ETC.? OR CAN I KEEP SOME OF THE WATER AND RE-USE?

HOW DO YOU KEEP NITRATES DOWN? MINE WERE AT 40 AND EVERYTHING ELSE WAS PERFECT. I DO WEEKLY TO BI WEEKLY WATER CHANGES. IS THERE MEDICINE OR SOMETHING I COULD ADD TO THE WATER, OR ANYTHING ELSE? WOULD LIVE PLANTS HELP?

I KNOW I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS BUT I WANT EVERYTHING TO BE PERFECT WHEN I FINALLY DO GET THESE LITTLE GUYS, AND I FIGURE THE ONLY WAY IS TO ASK ALL OF YOU WHO ALREADY KNOW. THANKS SO MUCH TO THOSE OF YOU WHO RESPOND! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!!

[Boxermom]

First, please don't post in all caps. It makes the post very difficult to read and appears that you are screaming at us.

Next, I personally wouldn't put more than 2 dwarf puffers in a 10g hex. There's not as much room as in a 10g rectangular tank, as its taller than it is wide. There aren't any other puffers readily available in the US that can go in a 10g tank, much less a 10g hex.

Its hard to know about your decor without a picture.

Check your local store for what types of plants they have available. You can also go to http://www.plantgeek.net and look for lists of what low light plants there are. You need to stick with low light plants.

Do not use salt of any kind whatsoever in the tank with dwarf puffers, or any other freshwater puffers. Aquarium salt isn't any good for any other fish either other than to occasionally treat ich outbreaks. Any fish that requires salt needs marine salt. Aquarium salt is useless for that.

Do not add anything to remove nitrates. Water changes are your friend. You may want to do them every other day instead of twice a week in order to keep them down.